In recent years many artists have moved from major conurbations to smaller towns or cities in the UK, with access to cheaper work space and accommodation, improved health and wellbeing, and the need for stronger community networks among the factors influencing their decision to relocate. In this guide, Dan Thompson explores the many and varied reasons why artists move to a new place.
For this follow up to her Approaching galleries guide, Jennie Syson asked artists, arts managers, curators and gallery directors to share their top tips, and dos and don’ts advice.
Writing a manifesto was one of Dan Thompson’s first acts as an artist and he has since written several more including one about using empty shops, and The Paying Artists Manifesto for Artist-Led Work that showed how artists working with their own ecology, economy and excitement ‘make the world around them better’. He explores the history of artists’ manifestos and shares advice and tips on how to write your own.
What are artists’ associate programmes and what do they offer within the broad landscape of artists’ professional development? What should artists consider before applying? Based on extensive research into sixty arts organisations across England, Scotland and Wales, this guide by Dany Louise offers artists help in thinking through the various options available to them.
Aimed at public sector arts employers, commissioners, consultants and arts trainers, Good practice in paying artists addresses the context for fees and payments for artists’ residencies, workshops and community commissions.
A practical guide for artists on different payment options, sending invoices, chasing payments and dealing with debtors.
A budget is an essential tool for any artist planning a new project, making a funding application or drawing up a business plan, while a-n’s Exhibition Payment Guide asks artists to provide a clear exhibition proposal and budget in advance of negotiation. This guide by the Cultural Enterprise Office in Glasgow offers straightforward advice on how to construct and manage a simple budget.
a-n’s Exhibition Payment Guide says artists should make sure they provide clear evidence of their work and experience when approaching a gallery with a proposal. This quick guide offers advice on the main areas to consider when developing a proposal, and includes tips on what to include when responding to an approach from a gallery or making a speculative pitch.
Artists and advisers identify key questions to ask to help sift the good opportunities from the mediocre, and the downright mendacious.
In the second part to ‘Selling your work: building relationships with clients and collectors’, consultant and curator Mark Doyle provides further recommendations for sales, aftercare, and maintaining relationships with clients and collectors.
Juan Bolivar, an artist and curator, explores the history and practice of curating, and provides ten key questions for independent curators and artists to help guide you in developing your first exhibitions. Bolivar’s painting practice runs parallel to his curating practice; first initiating TRAILER (2001-05) – an artist collective utilising temporary locations to stage exhibitions – and since, going on to curate over 40 exhibitions as an independent curator.
Hen Norton explores the use of fundraising platforms online and offers her top ten tips to help you build a sustainable creative business or project, and reach a wider and more engaged network of supporters through crowdfunding.
Negotiation is one of the four core principles of a-n/AIR’s Exhibition Payment Guide. This quick guide offers 10 tips for better negotiation.
A best practice reference guide to use when creating an agreement for a solo or group exhibition with a gallery or organisation presenting visual arts. You can also use the a-n Contracts Toolkit to build a contract to the specific exhibition context, and this checklist will support you with this.
Proactively seeking out opportunities to realise exhibitions and projects is an important strategy in the arts. Adam Smythe, Curator at the Bluecoat in Liverpool, gives some advice on the best methods of approaching galleries with exhibition proposals for your own work or for curatorial projects.
Jennie Syson offers some advice on approaching galleries, through setting out the different research routes and methods you might use.
If you are an artist or arts organisers who earns income from a variety of sources, self-employment is usually a good option as it enables you to work for many different people and perform more than one type of work. This guide by financial services experts Counterculture explains what self-employment means, how to register as self-employed, and how and when you will need to pay tax.
Enables artists to calculate an individual daily rate for services they supply based upon their unique circumstances and overheads and to prepare quotes when pitching for freelance work.
Getting paid a fair fee is not suggestive of a revolution. So why does it sometimes incur resistance, both from those who pay and from ourselves? This guide by Rod McIntosh introduces ideas towards getting paid what you want and indeed deserve.
Artists, gallerists and curators offer tips and guidance on how to price work when exhibiting in group shows, selling at open studios, or applying for open competitions.
This guide by Sheena Etches and Nicholas Sharp looks at how to handle contractual disputes, and how to terminate or re-negotiate contracts.
The following checklist by Sheena Etches and Nicholas Sharp covers many of the issues that arise when artists enter an arrangement with a private gallery, dealer or agent.
This checklist by Sheena Etches and Nicholas Sharp covers many issues relevant to small-scale private and public art commissions, with questions to consider and further explanation of issues arising in the notes.
For this video guide, Katy Beale and Charlotte Frost discuss micro-blogging with particular reference to Twitter and how it can be used for research, marketing and collaboration, plus a look at how artists are using Twitter in innovative ways that connect with their practice.
A guide for artists and arts organisers to creating a mutually-beneficial relationship.